This collection presents a ground-breaking account of the treatment and commemoration of dead bodies resulting from incidents of genocide and mass violence. Whether reburied, concealed, stored, abandoned or publicly displayed, human remains raise a vast number of questions regarding social, legal and ethical uses by communities, public institutions and civil society organisations. Through a diverse range of international case studies, across multiple continents, this highly innovative book brings together pioneering research from social scientists, historians and archaeologists into the role of mass crime's most visible evidence. It explores the effect of dead bodies or body parts, either desired or unintended, on various political, cultural or religious practices. How, for instance, do issues of confiscation, concealment or the destruction of human remains in mass crime impact on transitional processes, commemoration or judicial procedures? When are dead bodies hidden from view and when are they publicly reintegrated into society? Multidisciplinary in scope, Human remains and society will appeal to readers interested in the crucial phase of post-conflict reconciliation and the ways in which a society comes to terms with its violent past. This includes students and researchers of history, anthropology, sociology, archaeology, law, politics and modern warfare.